Folding chair.



F. M. BURROWES.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLIUATION Hmm APB. 25, 1907. l

940,582, Patented NOV. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. M. BURRO'WES.

FOLDING CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 1907.

QU of wm M w mm wz fr h Llu na P 7. L #ce .y M,.w, /Jl m 0 n /lf//W 2. yw W am UNITED sTATEs PATENT loEEieE.

i FRANK M. BURROWES, 0F PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. T. BU'RROWESCOM- PANY, 0F PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application led April 25, 1907'. Serial No. 370,264.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Enmiendas, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,haver invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference heilig had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in folding chairs and theobject of the invention is the provision of a chair of this type ofsimple and durable construction, the

component parts of which are so fashioned as to permit the chair whennot in use to be folded in a compact form.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel chair seatof such a construction that it will-not be subject to injury fromshrinkage or swelling duc, to atmospheric conditions.

Other objects of the invention will be ap; parent from the detaileddescription herein after, when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof, wherein a preferable embodiment of myinvention is shown and wherein like letters of reference refer tosimilar parts in the several views.

In the drawings, Figure l isa perspective view of my improved chair inits open position, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair in itsclosed position, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the chair in itsopen position, Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a portion of one seatframe, side bars, and the seat,r Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view online 5 5 of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3,and Fig. 7 is a sectional View on line 7 7 of Fig. 3. 'i

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A, A designates sidebars, the lower ends of which constitute the front legs of the chair andthe upperends of which constitute the side vieces of the back thereof.The inner sides o the side bars A, A .are provided with grooves' atherein, the lower ends of lwhich terminate at a point substantiallycentrally of said bar.

B designates a plate constituting aback support which rigidly connectsthe upper ends of the side bars A, A and B- designates y neath thelongitudinal grooves a formed therein. p

C, l designate the rear legs of the chair, which are pivotallv mountedbetween the lower ends of the side bars A, A and are designed when thechair is in its folded position tolie within the planes ofthe upper andAlower edges of said side bars. legs C, C arerigidly connected at theirlower ends by a rung cand at their upper ends by a rung c', to which theforward end of the seat frame is pivoted as will be hereinafter moreparticularly set forth. The legs C, C are pivoted between the side barsA, A by means of a rung or cross bar c2 which is rigidly secured thereinand the ends of which project beyond the sides thereof and looselyengage openings a formed in the inner sides of said cross bars .andextending partially therethrough. The side bars C, C may if desired befurther stremgfthened by securing therebetween crossed brace bars c, Theupper ends of the rear legs C', C terminate in reduced portions c4between which is pivoted the forward .portion of the scat frame. I

The seat frame comprises the side bars D, D the forward ends of whichare provided wit-h apertures d which loosely embrace the rung or crossbar c which rigidly connects the upper ends of the rear legs C, C of thechair and the rear ends of which are rigidly connected by a suitablerung or cross bar cl, the extremities of which project beyond'side barsD, D and into the longitudinal grooves a formed in the inner side of theside bars A, A, the extremities of such cross bar or rung being of'asize to slide freelyin said groove. The forward ends of the side bars D,D of the seatoframe are provided adjacent their connection with theupper ends of the rear legs C, C with recessed portions d2 whichterminate in inclined shoulders d3 which are designed to abut the' edgesof the legs C, -C when the cha-ir is open and the seat frame is in itslowered position.r

The I The side bars D, D of the seat frame are provided. on theirinterior with ribs d ex-` tending longitudinally thereof, the uppersurfaces of said ribs being Iconsiderably wider than the lower surfacesthereof so that the weight borne by the seat which is designed to besupported upon the upper surfaces of said ribs will be borne by the sidebars D, D and not by said ribs. E designates the seat of my improvedchair, which is preferably of wood and is provided along its outer edgeswith recessed portions e. which are designed to receive the ribs d* onthe inner sides of the side bars D, D of the seat frame. The forward`portion of the seat is rigidly secured to the side bars D, D of the seatframe by means of screws e or other suitable fastening means which passthrough the ribs' on the side bars and engage the seat. The seat is nototherwise secured. to the seat frame but is provided on its under sideat various points along the vouter edges thereof with metallic platese?, the outer ends of which are designed to underlie and lie in closeproximity to the lower surfaces of the ribs d4. From .this construction,it will be apparent that as the s eat is rigidly connected, at one pointonly with the seat frame, it is f ree to accommodate-itself toany'slight swelling or shrinkage due to atmospheric conditlons, whichwould otherwise Acause the same to split. While the seat is free toaccommodate itself in this manner it will be seen that by -reason of theplates e2, the same will always be maintained perfectly -1 horizontal.The underside of the seat E is provided with a groove e3extendingthereacross to aecommodate the rung 0 which connects the upperends of the legs C, C and passes through the side bars D, D vof the seatframe. This groove is made sufficiently wide to prevent the rung c frominterfering with any expansion or contraction of the seat. Secured tothe forward edgev of the seat E is a bai` or plate E the ends of whichare arranged to overlie the. forward ends of the side bars D, D of theseat frame, said bar or plate be- I in similar in width and appearanceto the si e bars D, D. The rear ends of the side bars D, D"of the seatframe are reduced .in thickness as -at d5 so that when the chair isfolded and the ends of the rung or cross barfront edges of the seat,these edgesbeing concealed when thel seat issecured in position by thebar E and the side bars D, D of the seat frame. The rear edge of thecovering is brought down over the rear edge of the seat E and securedwit-hin a groove formed therein to present a finished appearance, thisedge of the chair seat being exposed when the chair is in its openposit-ion. From this construction it will be apparent that owing to themanner in which the seat secured in the seat frame, should the coveringbecome soiled or worn, 'the seat may be readily removed and a newcovering secured thereto.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the chair may bereadily folded and that when so folded all of the parts thereof will licbetween the planes of the upper and lower edges of the side bars A, A.

- I do not desire to limit myself to 'the precise form and constructionshown in the drawings, as it is obvious that many minor changes might bemade thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. In a chair, a pair of parallel back bars, the lower ends ofwhich are extended to form the ,front legs of the chair and the backbars and at one side of the grooves therein, said back support beingpositioned between the planes ofthe upper and lower surfaces ofthe backbars and a seat pivotally secured at its forward portion to the upperends of said rear legs and provided at its rear end with proJectioiisengagin the grooves in the back bars, the rear portion of said seatbeing cut away to permit the same.

to clear the rigid back support when it is moved to its folded position.j:

2. In a chair, a pair of parallel back bars;

the-lower portions of which are extended to form the .front legs of thechair and the upper portions of which are provided on their inner sideswith longitudinally extendmg grooves, a fixed back support connectingthe upper portions of said back 4bars and underlying the groovestherein,tl1e said back support being -positioned between the planes ofthe upper and lower surfaces of the back bars, rear legs pivotallysupported between the lower ends of said back bars and ,adapted when infolded position to lie wholly Within the plane of the upper and lowersurfaces of the back bars, seat supporting side bars pivotally connectedat their forward ends to the upper ends of said rear legs and providedat their rear ends With -projeotions engaging the grooves in the backbars, the forward portions of said seat supporting side bars being ofsubstantially the saine thickness as the baekbars and the rear ends ofsaid side bars being reduced in thickness so as to clear the fixed backsupport and overlie the saine when the chair is in its folded position.l 10 In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence'of twoWitnesses.

g FRANK M'. BURRQWES. Witnesses:

HARRY H. RUSSELL, STEPHEN W.v CABLE.

